These days, you probably want to file your taxes as early as possible to prevent identity thieves from filing a false return in your name — but that requires you to have the necessary forms in hand, including W-2 forms.

These days, you probably want to file your taxes as early as possible to prevent identity thieves from filing a false return in your name — but that requires you to have the necessary forms in hand, including W-2 forms.

New H&R Block Tax Pro Go is assisted tax prep – minus the trip to the tax office Innovative, assisted tax prep gives clients upfront pricing, maximum refund and freedom December 2017 In a recent H&R Block survey*, Americans who have their tax returns prepared by a tax professional said that in the time they could save by not going to a tax office, 41 percent would spend time with family and friends, and 29 percent would sleep or binge-watch TV shows. Starting Jan. ...

New H&R Block Tax Pro Go is assisted tax prep – minus the trip to the tax office Innovative, assisted tax prep gives clients upfront pricing, maximum refund and freedom December 2017 In a recent H&R Block survey*, Americans who have their tax returns prepared by a tax professional said that in the time they could save by not going to a tax office, 41 percent would spend time with family and friends, and 29 percent would sleep or binge-watch TV shows. Starting Jan. ...

Nearly half of American taxpayers are somewhat or very dependent on receiving a tax refund from the IRS. The survey of 3,000 Americans and commissioned by H&R Block also found that if a tax refund was delayed, the biggest concern for one in four respondents would be not having enough money to meet required financial commitments like rent and bills. The IRS is required to hold refunds for returns claiming the earned income tax credit (EITC) and additional child tax credit (ACTC) u...

Nearly half of American taxpayers are somewhat or very dependent on receiving a tax refund from the IRS. The survey of 3,000 Americans and commissioned by H&R Block also found that if a tax refund was delayed, the biggest concern for one in four respondents would be not having enough money to meet required financial commitments like rent and bills. The IRS is required to hold refunds for returns claiming the earned income tax credit (EITC) and additional child tax credit (ACTC) u...

Every day, data thefts put people’s personal and financial information at risk. There are steps that identity theft victims can take to protect their financial accounts, their identities and their tax returns.

This tip is part of National Tax Security Awareness Week. The IRS is partnering with state tax agencies, the tax industry and groups across the country to remind people about the importance of data protection.

Generally, thieves want to use the stolen data as quickly as possible. That may mean selling the data on the Dark Web for use by other criminals. It may also mean the crook tries to withdraw money from bank accounts or charge credit cards. A thief might also try to file a fraudulent tax return using victims’ names for a refund.

People who are the victim of a data breach should consider these five steps to help protect their sensitive information that can be used on a tax return:

If possible, the victim should try to determine what information the thieves compromised. Victims can try to find out if the criminals accessed emails and passwords, or more sensitive data such as name and Social Security number.

Victims should place a freeze on credit accounts to prevent access to credit records. There may be a fee that varies by state. At a minimum, victims should place a fraud alert on their credit accounts by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus. A fraud alert on credit records is not as secure as a freeze, but a fraud alert is free.

Victims should reset passwords on online accounts. It is especially important to reset passwords of financial sites, email and social media accounts. Some experts recommend at least 10-digit passwords mixing letters, numbers and special characters. People should use different passwords for each account, using a password manager or password app if necessary.

People should use multi-factor authentication when available. Some financial institutions, email providers and social media sites allow users to set their accounts for multi-factor authentication. This means users may need a security code, usually sent as a text to their mobile phone, in addition to a username and password.

Remember that all of the web page addresses for the official IRS website, IRS.gov, begin with http://www.irs.gov. Don' t be confused or misled by Internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is http://www.irs.gov/.

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The information contained on or provided through this site is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional financial or accounting advice. Always seek the advice of your accountant or other qualified personal finance advisor for answers to any related questions you may have. Use of this site and any information contained on or provided through this site is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.